Obama thinks his tax policies are an extension of faith, saying that Jesus would support his plan to impose a higher effective tax rate on higher-income Americans. But many are crying foul over his remarks.

Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast last Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama took the opportunity to share his religious and political beliefs with over 3,000 attendees.

Referring to the growing need for economic and social equity amid the poor U.S. economy, Obama reiterated his call for a progressive tax system. In recent months, Obama has repeated his call for "share responsibility", arguing that those who earn more should not be paying a lower effective tax rate than those who earn less.

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He said:

I know that far too many neighbors in our country have been hurt and treated unfairly over the last few years. And I believe in God's command to love thy neighbor as thyself. I know a version of that golden rule is found in every major religion and every set of beliefs.

Justifying his tax policies, Obama added:

In a time when many folks are struggling and at a time when we have enormous deficits, it's hard for me to ask seniors on a fixed income or young people with student loans or middle-class families who can barely pay the bills to shoulder the burden alone. And I think to myself, if I'm willing to give something up as somebody who's been extraordinarily blessed and give up some of the tax breaks that I enjoy, I actually think that's going to make economic sense. But for me as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus' teaching that, 'for unto whom much is given, much shall be required'.

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Obama is not the only President to make a speech at the Breakfast. According to Politico, every President since Dwight D. Eisenhower has made a regular appearance at the Breakfast.

Many have cried foul over the President's remarks, mostly criticizing Obama's "remarks on spirituality with a populist message of economic fairness."

As Carla Garrison said in her Washington Timespost, the quote "taken from Luke 12:48, takes on a much deeper and important meaning that could be of great value to the President", where "Jesus talks to his disciples about watchfulness, about doing what is right even though the'master' of the 'servants' is not around."

Watch Obama at the National Prayer Breakfast: